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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cold — an illness
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stem — to come from
  15. craft — boats
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cold — not warm
  22. craft — a skill
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com